Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump and former adviser for policy in the Middle East, has received hundreds of millions of dollars in investments for his private equity fund from UAE and Qatar, according to a report. The New York Times reported last Thursday that the UAE sovereign wealth fund invested around $200 million in Kushner’s firm, Affinity Equity, and a Qatari fund invested a similar amount. These investments follow a $2 billion cash injection from Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund, which occurred shortly after Kushner left the White House.
While these investments are not illegal, they raise concerns about how those close to the Trump Administration have benefited from their previous roles in government. Similar to Kushner, former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s investment firm has received billions from Middle Eastern wealth funds, including $1 billion from the Saudi wealth fund. Former President Trump himself has also announced business deals with Middle Eastern interests.
Last year, the House Oversight Committee, then controlled by Democrats, launched an investigation into the initial Saudi investment in Kushner’s fund, to determine if Kushner traded influence from his government position for the investment. The recent investments from UAE and Qatar may add to these concerns.